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Month: November 2016

Ahhh Kitties. Both the Darlings of the Internet AND the devil of the household. While they may be fiendish little fur gnomes they also give us come cooky insight into the buyer’s journey.

Catnip Media: What cats teach us about new technology

Always curious

Cats posess a natural curiousity to what things are and what they do. You know you have seen your kitty take a poke at something every now and again without reason. Its because they are testing it with their paws. We do the same when testing new technology like an iphone ” what does this button do? ” “look at all the pretty lights” the point is to peak your audiences curiousity and wow them from the get go . Make sure the tehc isn’t overly complicated

They come running for the treats

When your cats start to understand when the next meal is coming , its like they have a built in internal clock. They will bother you over and over again if its late and run when they now its time and even before then.

How does this translate?Make sure that as you grow your customer following in tech that you build that consistency and follow up on it. Nothing disappoints an audience more than failed expectations.

Looking intensly before they pounce

Your audience will look at something over and over again before they finally pounce . make sure that you have good things to show and note all the usual areas audiences will check things. review sites etc. engage

Make sure to keep them happy or they’ll shit all over the place

When a cat is unhappy and wants to show dominance it will shit in the room , in your shoes or on your bed if you piss him or her off. Same goes with your customers … but instead they will shit all over review sites, social media and the BBB to let you know their displeasure.

Currently these are the unpopular thoughts running through so many peoples’ minds for our supremely screwed up year of 2016. We have lost so much and don’t understand why. Just like the stupid iPhone 7.

I have a stupid iPhone 7 and it confuses and angers me.

In 2016, so far , we have lost Bowie , Prince and our sanity. We also found that there are so many flaws in our poltical system that it baffles the mind.

iPhone 7 has no… fricken … headphone jack !??! Why iPhone ? WHYY? This confuses me more than the time I thought having a stomach ache meant I was pregnant(I was 5). This has royally screwed up my ability to plug you into my car stereo to listen to music AND the ability to charge you at the same time as listening to you. Now you make me choose iPhone. You make me choose and I shouldn’t have to.

This is what 2016 has been for us so far. Forcing us to make crappy choices we didn’t want to make in the first place and taking away things we always trusted to be there.

Everybody loves a hashtag trend on Twitter! I have taken to watching Bob’s Burgers on twitter because their stuff is .. just … awesome .

Their awkward humor and down to earth characters make them relate-able to almost everyone who watches. I define them as more of an ” easy watch “. It’s easy because you don’t have to memorize much of the story line. Heck! You don’t even need to follow the show to enjoy an episode.

My new favorite thing that has everyone engaged : #TinaTuesdays

This is starting to really take off and I couldn’t be happier for Bob’s Burgers Twitter channel . They do a phenomenal job! Keep it up guys!

Since it started Facebook has become quite the phenomenon . It is more than just a place to share pictures of your pets and foods… its become everyone’s online micro-blog.

Yes essentially we have all become our own Truman show and given the public insight into our lives.

What we have also done is use is as a memorial for those that have passed on.

Over the course of my Facebook Journey I have had a few friends of mine pass away. One due to a fatal heart attack that no one saw coming. Another had an aneurysm. Both of them had active facebook presences and both had profiles that remained even after their passing.

I have noticed over the years after their passing, friends and family members still post on their walls or put up pictures and talk about memories they had together. Facebook has unknowingly served the purpose of memorializing someone in this respect and overall , it really helps.

Like most cemeteries, Tombstones are made so that the living can have a place to grief and remember those they have lost. Its also a place of solace and meditation where one can converse with their loved one if only to communicate that they are missed. Facebook has given us something better and I hope they keep it.

You can now Log on to Facebook and view images , videos , comments and overall memories you had with this person for as long as the page stays live. I think that’s amazing that our technology can provide us with this memory bank to be able to visit when we miss our loved ones.

I remember one of my worst/ weirdest breakups was a combination of Ghosting and a final mail declaring that it was “Over” after 3 weeks of not talking to me .

He was an instrumentalist I had met while I was in my undergrad program. We had met in one of our common core classes and hit it off right away. I honestly remember going to a show with this guy , then making out and … we were in a relationship. It seemed like time flew in that relationship.

I should have read the signs that this man was afraid of intimacy in the beginning. He didn’t like or want me to ever sleep over after we had spent time together. Even when we … *ahem* got intimate he would still insist that I go back to my own bed. Being the ballsy girl I am (and also a freakin’ adult) I tried to ask him if there was something wrong/ did he still want to be together. He said everything was fine and I , being a reasonable human being, took him at his word and continued on.

A few months after the start of our relationship, the summer came and I was accepted to a summer opera program that would cause me to be gone most of the summer. That was when he stopped talking to me altogether without so much as a word. No phone call. No texting . Nothing.

I tried several times to reach out to him before finally writing an angry email giving him an ultimatum. He either answered me or else.

I finally received an email from the guy saying it was “just over” and that was it. We were done. In retrospect, I should have just said this was over from the first week and not be so hopeful. I think the worst part of it was that he didn’t keep it personal or do me the courtesy to say it on the phone. The email felt so cold and impersonal.

Overall , This whole situation did me a huuuge favor. I realized that any intense or difficult conversation is better doing in person or as close to personal as you can . DO NOT text or email a breakup. Talk to the person. Talk to each other!!!

Two little words can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to a disagreement. Whether this is in business, friendships or relationships, the ability to admit when we have done a wrong and apologize is golden. Those two words “I’m sorry ” can be a great first step towards understanding and healing. However, this must be said with a follow up plan.

Lip Service

Apologizing is a great first step …but did you mean it? I often see companies make mistakes in either their advertising or actions and not present any steps to remedy the situation. If no action is taken to correct or make up for the behavior …are you REALLY sorry?

When you , either as a person or a company, commit to apologizing , you need to have an action plan going forward, Are you going to change how you behave in the future? Launch an initiative to make sure such an action doesn’t happen again? Please make sure you have your plan in gear before you right checks your ass can’t cash. People are smarter than you give them credit for and can smell Lip Service.

Don’t be Bridgestone

In 98′ the Bridgestone Tire company began receiving complaints that its tire tread would separate. This resulted in quite a few horrific accidents (source here). Did they even acknowledge the problem or say they would investigate ? No sir! Instead they denied up until 2000 after a lawsuit was filed and won. Even though apologies may have been thrown around after… do you think people still had faith in the company at that point ?

Even if you don’t believe there is a problem , ALWAYS after to investigate the matter. It’s in your best interest. Then if you find you did wrong, APOLOGIZE. This final step seems to escape people.

Leaders are more Respected when admitting they are wrong once in a while.

I remember when I was working retail at a place that rhymes with… let’s say… Schmest Fry. I had told a Coworker in passing that this dude, let’s call him ‘Chad A”, had asked for my number then I said “no”. The problem is, there were several Chad’s at my store and this coworker though I was talking about Chad B vs Chad A. Either way , she mentioned this situation to a supervisor for reasons I am not sure as to why since there was nothing wrong. The supervisor , lets call her Mrs Harpee, took it upon herself to not even investigate nor ask anyone if they thought it was true but instead came at me like I was immediately guilty.

I walked into work the next day to get a meeting with Mrs. Harpee and my store manager where she accused me immediately of ” spreading lies” and how she “wouldn’t have that in her store”. I then corrected her and told her that I was talking about a different Chad. She refused to believe me and instead kept saying that she didn’t want ” people like me ” in ” her store”. I thought this kind of funny because it was not ” her store” and she was a few rungs down the ladder from our Store Manager.

Instead of trying to fight her , I went to the Store Manager and told him what had happened. There was a reason this guy was the store manager. He LISTENED to my story , repeated it back to me to make sure he understood the situation , then offered to investigate and follow up with me. After circling back to me he then told me that the BS write up I had received would be taken out of my file and nothing further would be done. The only thing that shocked me was when I asked about the situation with Mrs Harpee. I asked ” well is she going to apologize for what she did ? Offer some kind of explanation? ”

to which his response was ” Oh … well she won’t do that”

Excuse me ? What kind of message does that send ?! I don’t understand why some supposed leaders and managers have their head stuck so far up their ass that they think that apology is “beneath” them . If you have wronged someone in the workplace or even want to attempt to mend the relationship, humble yourself and apologize for YOUR part in the argument/ disagreement/whatever the hell you want to call it. It takes TWO to argue.

Mrs Harpee’s display of not apologizing not only made her look like a terrible supervisor, it also made her quite a terrible person. I left that store shortly afterward . good riddance.Had she been humble and apologized the story could have been different

Own your outcomes and apologize

My point is, in business or in life it is important to accept your failings and apologize. It will bode better with your audience

While everyone in our nation is losing their damn mind (myself included), its good to take a little breather in between the shock/sadness/battle plans. For me lately, that solace has been found in Dancing with the Stars.

Seriously, I have been drawn to it like CRACK! I need to see the new episodes and all the cool new dance moves as they sashay into my heart!

So I began thinking …what is it about this show I love so much? Then it dawned on me… this show relates to my everyday life but in physical form!

Think about it! They are working hard towards a common goal that you pour your blood sweat and tears into! Sure not every day or dance is a gem but you keep working toward it and create something beautiful. What makes you feel that way?

I’ve come to talk with you again…..

I woke up this morning with Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” in my head where it has stayed all day. The distinct melody drifting through my brain as I noticed that most of the world too was silent.

What has bothered me the most and got me thinking the most… the silence. WHY the silence ?

Silence is dangerous and damning.

My first silence was a common one for women:

When I was around the age of 16, I remember my first encounter with silence. I had agreed to go out with a boy who was a friend of a friend. We went out to a movie, saw a comedy then I got into his car to take me home. I thought I was going home. Instead he tried to force himself on me . I remember slapping him a few times and screaming “I said no!” in a panicked tone complete with red face before he finally stopped. He then called me a dumb bitch and dropped me home. The next day at school was hell.

This boy had spread news of his special version of our “horrible date” making him out to be the victim and me to be the “crazy girl” who yelled at him “for no reason”. Everyone chose to believe him over me. I could have fought it. I could have filed a report. I could have told a lot of people. Instead I felt defeated and ashamed. Instead, I let silence happen. I stopped talking about it , withdrew and fell silent.

I always think back to that time and wonder what would have happened if I had just used my voice. What would have happened if I had taken more of a stance against this man and not let him make me feel ashamed. I could have used my voice.

My second brush with silence was at one of my old jobs:

I was younger and working for a call center. While we weren’t responsible for a sales quota even though I was in sales, we were responsible for practically everything else. Our entire phone call and ” sales pitch” was scripted and our actions were monitored. Big Brother was always watching at this company and tried to actively find ways to write you up especially if you got a bonus. Our bonuses were rare and hard to achieve. This company micromanaged everything we did.

One day they took it too far..

As I was coming in for the dreaded work day I noticed one of my associates was frantic at her desk. She was visibly upset but had to stay on the phone with the customer because if she got off the phone when it wasn’t her ” scheduled break” she would be yelled at by management. When we finally went to lunch she told me what had her bothered.

My associate was an older woman and as such she needed to go to the bathroom a bit more in the day. It wasn’t excessive and she was still able to do her job despite more bathroom trips. In fact, she made sales goal every quarter. I was shocked to find out that today management had written her up and told her that she was not “allowed” to go to the bathroom as much anymore. I remember thinking “seriously? They can’t do that!”.

The next day she got fired.

It wasn’t until later when I told this story to a friend that I found out this very action was illegal to do in the workforce. Even without knowing … I could have and should have spoken up for her. This was not OK. I should have reported it to corporate. I should have fought . Instead of giving any feedback or speaking up. I too quit a month later.

We need to continue to speak up in our lives, our jobs and our country.

We need to continue to speak up to make a better world. We need to continue to speak to make a better tomorrow.

Michael Moore actually said it best when he tweeted :

However this ends, that’s where we begin.

This is not a time to stay silent. Even if the candidate you voted for did not win, this does not mean its the end of using your voice. Don’t let one setback make you feel defeated to silence. Let this time be the fire you need to stand up for what you believe and move mountains.

We can’t be silent. We need to speak . We need to use our voices and move towards a better country.

During my late night browsing of Facebook, I happened upon a friend’s status post that I found I could really relate to on a personal level. It just simply read ” being ignored hurts ” . I just remember reading it and thinking… yes …yes it REALLY does.

Let’s face it . The silent treatment SUCKS . I would rather get into a screaming match or deal with someone overly emotional than nothing. You can’t have a discussion with silence. You can’t try to come to an understanding with silence. You can’t do ANYTHING with silence. This is actually considered a form of torture.

While reading this article I found in heysigmund.com : http://www.heysigmund.com/the-silent-treatment/

I found that an in depth study on the subject had been done by Paul Schrodt, PhD which involved more than 14,000 participants which revealed that the “silent treatment is ‘tremendously’ damaging to a relationship. It decreases relationship satisfaction for both partners, diminishes feelings of intimacy, and reduces the capacity to communicate in a way that’s healthy and meaningful.”

I mean think about it … what can you really GAIN from doing this to a person? Think of it in even the context of a business relationship. You throw each other the silent treatment because of some argument. Then as you stop talking to each other nothing gets done , your business suffers. Same can be said of friends or relationships. IT JUST DOESN’T HELP!

Pulling from my own experience, there is nothing that hurts me more.I was bullied as a child and unpopular in school so I was often ignored or left out of activities.

Being given the silent treatment really hurts me. I don’t like being made to feel like I am unwanted or beneath someone’s notice. It’s a sure fire way to make me cry. It makes me feel like I don’t belong.I want to belong, I want to FEEL noticed.

Overall this status post really struck a chord with me because I have BEEN there . often . No one deserves to feel that way. No one should be hurt in that way. Can’t we all talk to one another ?

In the words of Karen of heysigmund.com:

“Being noticed is so close to being loved, that sometimes they feel the same.

Could we imagine what it would have been like had people like Washington, Lincoln or even Kennedy been on twitter during their own campaigns?

Thanks to sites like http://historicaltweets.com/?s=lincoln&submit=Go We can humorously imagine but we need to pose the question… how has social media changed politics ?

Accessibility

Yeah before they were on TV and newspapers but one still had to have the time to set aside to watch those interactions. These days all someone needs to do is pull out their phone and catch the highlights on twitter or view the opinions on Facebook.

Accountability

I was lucky to be one of the last generations that did not grow up in the age of facebook. It came around when I was in college and even then I have some pictures I had to lobby to get taken down or un-tag myself as it were. Nothing is kept from the masses anymore so long as someone is near with a camera phone. This can be both good and bad . sometimes yes you have been caught in a compromising situation but it was taken out of context . This also helps in that we can see the candidates for who they really are and not the glossed up version the media wants them to be .

Advertising

The game has changed and social media sites like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter are center stage for the mass spotlight. That’s where the budget is going these days but people have wised up. its not only about bought SEO but its about organic as well . I myself will scroll pass the paid for search ads and choose the one with the most organic hits. people don’t like being bought or sold anymore. They want honesty and transparency